Great Big Green Week 2023!

Muslim Charities Forum is pleased to be participating in the Great Big Green Week for its third year running. This year, our aim is to get as many Muslim organisations involved in climate action across the UK as we can.  

What is the Great Big Green Week?  

The Great Big Green Week is a national campaign hosted by The Climate Coalition every year since 2021. This year it runs from the 10th – 18th June. The Great Big Green Week (#GBGW) is a celebration of climate and nature and a chance for people around the UK to take part in activity which highlights the efforts being taken to address the urgent and ongoing climate crisis.  

What is the climate crisis? 

The climate crisis is affecting us all, irrespective of where we live. Excessive heatwaves causing droughts and wildfires, sea and water levels rising resulting in floods, and extreme freezing temperatures affecting those poorest. These changes are caused by excessive emissions of greenhouse gasses caused by pollution, burning fossil fuels for energy as well as mismanagement of plastics and waste in landfills. The UN Sustainable Development Goals lay out 17 goals for every country in working towards reducing emissions and achieving net zero.

Whilst each country works to achieve this, there are also changes we can make to our daily lives which will help us address climate change and contribute towards living and working more sustainably.

Our responsibility to the Earth as Muslims

As Muslims, we are taught that we should live according to certain principles. One of these is that we are entrusted as ‘stewards of the Earth’.

The Prophet (pbuh) said ‘The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily God has made you His stewards in it…’ (Muslim).

This means that we should take steps to actively care for the environment by being responsible for our actions in how we treat the world around us.  

Get involved in the Great Big Green Week

You can visit the Great Big Green Week website for all sorts of ideas and events to take part in or host, including resources to share on your channels and keep informed via our Climate Action page.

In addition, here are just some suggestions of what you can do during the week with colleagues and with your community: 

Organise a tidy-up walk or litter-picking session in your local area

The following hadith reminds us of our religious obligation to improve the area around us; ‘And removing a harmful object from the road is a charity’ (al-Bukhari & Muslim).  

Ask your local mosque to hold a khutbah on climate change & the concept of Islamic environmentalism.

Understanding our religious duty to care for our environment can enlighten us and give us context in this complicated and sometimes, overwhelming issue. Find our Green Jummah Khutbah template here.

Hold a coffee morning to discuss the topic of climate change

Initiating the conversation is often the first step, but shouldn’t be underestimated. Allow a safe space for people to speak openly about their understanding of climate change and explore manageable actions that can be taken. Why not host a screening of the MCF feature film The Sacred Trust?

Plant a tree!

Considered an act of charity, those who are able to plant something, will receive a blessing from any who are able to benefit from it. ‘

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, “There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him.” (al-Bukhari)

Go for a walk.

With your team, organise a small outing to a local green space where you can slow down and enjoy the nature around us. The Quran reminds us that there are reminders of Him all around us:

And the earth – We spread it out and cast therein firmly, set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind, giving insight and a reminder for every servant who turns [to Allah]. (Holy Qur’an, Qaf 50: 7-8 ) 

For more information on what we are doing to take climate action please visit our page and stay informed with us. If you would like to talk to us about your organisation and how you can be climate aware, please contact reem@muslimcharitiesforum.org.uk